CHAPTER IV: Ottoman-Aceh relations as documented in Turkish sources

Abstract

This chapter examines commercial, diplomatic and military relations between Turkey and Aceh, most extensively in the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, using Ottoman sources. Most of these sources for sixteenth-century relations can be found in the Muhimme records issued by the Divan-i Humayun (Ottoman Imperial Council), some of which are now available in published form. These official records document the arrival of Aceh envoys in Istanbul and their request for military aid from Turkey, as well as the preparation of a navy campaign to Sumatra in support of Aceh in 1567. The Mamluk legacy in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean was taken over by the Ottoman sultans, who sought to control not only the holy places of Islam in Arabia, but also the surrounding areas, especially the Red Sea. Relations between the Ottoman Empire and the Aceh sultanate began to revive again in the nineteenth century after a long hiatus. Keywords: Aceh sultanate; Istanbul; Muhimme records; Ottoman empire; Red Sea; Turkey